“Some reports, like the Telegraph’s, have indicated that the suspect was poisoning food, but the current manager of the establishment has reached out to outlet Europa Press to clarify that the suspect was contaminating his colleague’s drinks.” Read More: http://eater.com/archives/2013/02/13/chef-accused-of-poisining-staff-in-spain.php
Monthly Archives: February 2013

I like to think of myself as someone who will try anything once (especially when it comes to food), but there are a few things I have a hard time stomaching, or even imagining to stomach. I recently encountered a photoshopped picture of a lamprey. I was comforted to know […]
50 Ways to Think About Food: No. 1 “Taboo”
Life, on the Line: A Chef’s Story of Chasing Greatness, Facing Death, and Redefining the Way We Eat by Grant Achatz My rating: 3 of 5 stars This is a fascinating biography of a chef. The Food Biography genre is really expanding and my favorites in the genre tend to […]
Review: “Life on the Line: A Chef’s Story of Chasing ...
Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain My rating: 4 of 5 stars It’s pure, unadulterated pleasure reading Bourdain’s books, and this was the first one I read. I was a waitress and beer wench for many years, and he nailed the nail square on the head […]
Review: “Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly” by Anthony ...
“Serves 46 INGREDIENTS ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder ½ cup light brown sugar 3 tbsp. ancho chili powder 2 tbsp. kosher salt 2 tbsp. granulated onion 1 tbsp. granulated garlic 1 tbsp. dried oregano 1 tbsp. dried mustard 2 tsp. dried ginger 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp.” Read More: […]
Reading: “Cocoa-Rubbed Baby Back Ribs”
“My latest Kitchen History for Etsy focuses on the history of recipes–you can read it here. By the time these little spoons were manufactured c. 1900, recipes were orderly and measurements were exact–they look much like a recipe does today. But that wasn’t always the case.” Read More: http://www.fourpoundsflour.com/kitchen-histories-a-level-measure/
Reading: “Kitchen Histories: The Measuring Spoon”
“Americans consume 130 pounds of sugar per year, about…one immediately pictures someone standing with an open bag of sugar just letting it slide down the throat, but no! There’s 10 t. of sugar in a 12 oz Coke, people.” Read More: http://foodmuseum.com/entries/eating/the-big-fat-sugar-thing
Reading: “The Big Fat Sugar Thing”
The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter, and Tears at the World’s Most Famous Cooking School in Paris by Kathleen Flinn My rating: 4 of 5 stars Here’s the thing I realized while reading this book: food (and any of the myriad ways to think about food) […]
Review: “The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry” by ...
American Food Writing: An Anthology: With Classic Recipes by Molly O’Neill My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is a really lovely collection of food writing. Molly O’Neill has picked out some great writers, and the short but interesting history of food in America is well represented from Thomas Jefferson […]
Review: “American Food Writing: An Anthology With Classic Recipes”
“Julia Child has truly become one of the immortals of American culture. There’s a new comic book out retelling her life story. Julia Child certainly did that. She became a television star with her groundbreaking cooking series, “The French Chef.” Read More: http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/food/stew/chi-julia-child-comic-book,0,5881412.story
Reading: “Julia Child: The comic book”

“What Would Julia Child Do? Source: huffingtonpost.com Meat, cheese, and bread knuckle tatts. Source: firstwefeast.com Hot dog tattoo. Source: ocweekly.com Romantic avocado tattoos. Source: foodbeast.com Stand mixer tattoo. Source: flickr.com Ingredients for hummus tattoo. Source: flickr.” Read More: http://www.buzzfeed.com/arielknutson/incredible-tattoos-dedicated-to-food
Reading: “28 Incredible Tattoos Dedicated To Food”
“As a coda to my previous post, I should note that before their adoption of apple ensachage and photographic tattoos, the nineteenth-century fruit growers of Montreuil had already adopted innovative peach growing techniques to produce the most coveted stone fruits in the world.” Read More: http://www.ediblegeography.com/solar-peach-walls/
Reading: “Solar Peach Walls”

“The modern nigiri sushi we know was invented as fast food for busy travelers in 18th Century Tokyo (known then as Edo). Bite-sized grabs of rice and raw fish were treated with kelp, vinegar, light soy sauce, herbs and other zests to stall spoilage and make the goods last longer.” […]
Reading: “17 Beautiful And Mouthwatering Photos Of Edomae Sushi”
“I make these weekend mornings when I’m at my parent’s house. My dad is always trying unnecessarily complicated recipes that have you separate the eggs and whip the whites for ultra-fluffy pancakes, but it’s really not worth the hassle. This recipe makes perfect pancakes.” Read More: http://www.buzzfeed.com/emofly/best-buttermilk-pancake-recipe
Reading: “How To Make The Best Pancakes From Scratch”
“So you’d say that most of the people that come into your restaurant put themselves in your hands? Yes, exactly. I don’t think anyone will hop on a plane to come here without being open to it. But I think the same applies to the farmer from around here that […]
Reading: “Chef Quique Dacosta on Creativity, Pragmatism, and the Importance ...
“How Curtis Duffy overcame his parents’ murder-suicide to become one of the nation’s great chefs.” Read More: http://longform.org/posts/4232
Reading: “His Saving Grace by Kevin Pang”
“It’s not too late to invent something. Not all simple ideas are taken. Your invention doesn’t have to be the next iPhone or Snapchat or drone. Things like Samir Sufi’s “slingshot” tea mugs are still happening all around us. “ Read More: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/02/the-tea-that-might-have-been/273134/
Reading: “The Tea That Might Have Been”
“Here’s another neat behind the scenes video from David Chang’s PBS show The Mind of a Chef. This particular footage focuses on how the post-production team at Zero Point Zero Productions managed to animate a conversation on mediocrity between Chang and Anthony Bourdain.” Read More: http://eater.com/archives/2013/02/13/watch-a-chang-and-bourdain-discussion-get-animated-on-the-mind-of-a-chef.php
Reading: “Watch a Chang and Bourdain Discussion Get Animated on ...
“El Anatsui, the artist behind more than 30 works at Brooklyn Museum this month, will knock the wind out of you.” Read More: http://www.fastcodesign.com/1671843/shimmering-textiles-stitched-from-liquor-bottle-caps
Reading: “Shimmering Textiles, Stitched From Liquor Bottle Caps”
“Karin Ried, Ph.D., is research director for the National Institute of Integrative Medicine in Melbourne, Australia, and is one of the leading chocolate researchers in the world. Her main interest is in chocolate’s effect on blood pressure.” Read More: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/02/the-life-and-work-of-a-chocolate-health-researcher/273130/
Reading: “The Life and Work of a Chocolate Health Researcher”
“Enlarge Image Credit: Todd Coleman SERVES 6 INGREDIENTS 1 cup canola oil 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste ½ lb.” Read More: http://feeds.saveur.com/c/34568/f/632425/s/2881602f/l/0L0Ssaveur0N0Carticle0CRecipes0CCajun0EBenedict/story01.htm
Reading: “Cajun Benedict”
“If you’re not worried about making this cake vegan, you can swap in any simple frosting. Recipe here. This four-ingredient gluten-free cookie recipe is a total keeper.” Read More: http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelysanders/amazing-gluten-free-desserts-for-valentines-day
Reading: “33 Amazing Gluten-Free Desserts For Valentine’s Day”
“If one day of hearts and lovey-dovey, mushy-gushy isn’t enough, you might want to consider a move to Japan or Korea. Both countries have an interesting adaptation for Valentine’s Day: They celebrate it twice.” Read More: http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/food/2013/02/koreas-black-day-when-sad-single-people-get-together-and-eat-only-black-food/
Reading: “Korea’s Black Day: When Sad, Single People Get Together ...
“Los Angeles, CA February 13, 2013 – Vendome Pictures announced today that it has come on board to produce and finance EL BULLI, a fictionalized dramatic feature film based on world-famous Spanish chef Ferran Adrià and the restaurant he built into the world’s foremost gastronomic mecca, elBulli.” Read More: http://eater.com/archives/2013/02/13/elbulli-film-gets-a-producer-screenwriter.php
Reading: “ElBulli Film Gets a Producer, Screenwriter”
“”Darwin was an unusual gourmet. He had a distinctly scientific approach to eating and was never more satisfied than when digesting the rarest species known to the palate. As a student at Cambridge, Darwin presided over the Glutton Club, which met weekly in order to seek out and eat ‘strange […]
Reading: “Happy BD, Young Mr. Darwin, A Glutton for the ...
“IMAGE: A random mutation caused this Golden Delicious apple to turn half-red, half-green. According to Susan Brown, she can breed apples with a stable variation of this mutation that creates candy-cane red stripes on a pale yellow-skinned apple. Photo ARCHANT via The Daily Telegraph.” Read More: http://www.ediblegeography.com/the-tree-with-the-apple-tattoo/
Reading: “The Tree with the Apple Tattoo”
“Let’s just say Dominic Episcopo has sunk his teeth into the “meat” of Americana. In his Kickstarter project, “Meat America,” the photographer has paired iconic images from Lincoln to Elvis (“Love Me Tender”) with hunks of red-meat art.” Read More: http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/food/2013/02/this-artist-uses-meat-as-his-medium/
Reading: “This Artist Uses Meat As His Medium”
“Hello nerds and anglophiles, here is that unofficial Doctor Who cookbook you have been waiting for.” Read More: http://eater.com/archives/2013/02/11/the-doctor-who-cookbook-full-of-fish-fingers-custard.php
Reading: “Dining With the Doctor: The Doctor Who Cookbook Is ...
“IMAGE: Acoustic tribology diagram via NIZO. First, drink some black coffee. Next, rub your tongue against the roof of your mouth. It should feel a little rough, like very fine sandpaper: the tiny bumps on your tongue, called papillae, are raised just enough to create friction against your palate.” Read […]
Reading: “Listening to What the Tongue Feels”
“In December, Chicago chef Curtis Duffy–formerly of modernist cuisine mecca Alinea–opened a new restaurant named Grace.” Read More: http://www.fastcodesign.com/1671825/a-sashimi-dish-that-took-7-years-to-design
Reading: “A Sashimi Dish That Took 7 Years To Design”
“Over the past couple of years, the burger has seen a surge in popularity. Even fine dining restaurants have been after the title of best burger, ushering it into a new culinary art form.” Read More: http://acqtaste.com/the-feed/musings-on-the-burger/
Reading: “Musings on the Burger”
“While doing research for my book Hog and Hominy http://cup.columbia.edu/book/978-0-231-14638-8/hog-and-hominy/tableOfContents, I came across some fascinating love and food story. Bill and Geraldine walker met each other during the Great Depression and decided to build a life and business together.” Read More: http://www.foodasalens.com/2013/02/love-and-barbecue.html
Reading: “Love and Barbecue”
“Trader Joe’s is known for traveling the globe to find a wide and ever-changing variety of foods. They recently went next door to bring back Organic Stone-Ground Mexican-Style Dark Chocolate, which has the shape, taste and paper packaging of traditional south-of-the-border chocolates.” Read More: http://blogs.laweekly.com/squidink/2013/02/trader_joes_mexican_chocolate.php
Reading: “Trader Joe’s Mexican Chocolate + How to Make Mexican ...
“Absolutely do not miss this interview with writer/editor/Twitter aficionado Ruth Reichl. She talks about the demise of Gilt Taste and her new projects (including the novel Delicious). She shares her thoughts on food magazines (“I love, love Lucky Peach.” Read More: http://eater.com/archives/2013/02/11/ruth-reichl-unchained.php
Reading: “Ruth Reichl, Unchained”
“Any weight lost while on the moose cleanse is incidental. Did you know that pound for pound, the moose is the leanest ruminant on earth? It’s true. Moose are very in tune with their natural surroundings.” Read More: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/02/the-moose-cleanse/272788/
Reading: “The Moose Cleanse”

“At the apartment of the guy I was dating, I stood in front of a fully stocked refrigerator, shelves packed with homemade pickles, chicken stock and a flavor wheel of condiments. He chose scallops, which meant I was in charge of sides.” Read More: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/life/food/cooking-for-love-can-two-play-the-lead-in-the-kitchen-674121/
Reading: “Cooking for love: Can two play the lead in ...
“Maker’s Mark just got a little less stiff. The bourbon brand, known for its bottles sealed with red wax, told customers today that it’s reducing the amount of alcohol in the beverage in order to meet rising global demand.” Read More: http://qz.com/52478/makers-mark-waters-down-its-bourbon-to-meet-rising-demand/
Reading: “Maker’s Mark waters down its bourbon to meet rising ...
“You all know how much I like recreating dishes I have encountered on my travels once I return, right? For me, it’s the best way to prolong a vacation.” Read More: http://www.eatlivetravelwrite.com/2013/02/culturelicious-toronto/
Reading: “Culturelicious (Toronto)”
“It is said that the brownie was created at the Palmer House Hotel during the 1893 Columbian Exposition( The largest World’s Fair of it’s time) when the owner Bertha Palmer asked the chef to make a ‘ladies dessert’. Brownies were one of the very first prepackaged food ‘mixes’ ever sold.” […]
Reading: “National ‘Have a Brownie’ Day”
“But it’s only fair to also talk about the other side. When a daily job relies on boundary-less passion this much, the fine thread that keeps us going, that stretches far beyond strength we didn’t even know we had, can break.” Read More: http://www.likeastrawberrymilk.com/2013/02/how-to-become-a-pastry-chef-the-dark-side-of-stainless-steel/
Reading: “How to become a pastry chef? – The dark ...
“Here’s the first asking what we know about the history of the wok, and what are the links, if any, with India and even Turkey? The answer. Not much (though Professor Mair now promises more).” Read More: http://www.rachellaudan.com/2013/01/whats-the-history-of-the-wok-a-continuing-investigation.html
Reading: “What’s the History of the Wok? A Continuing Investigation”

I’ve been thinking about this painting by Lee Price a lot lately: I gave up eating sugar about 5 years ago, about the time that I was taking my comps in grad school and just before my divorce. Prior to doing so, from the ages of about 16-33, I spent […]
The Power of Doughnuts and Transformation of the Human Psyche
“Deciphering the meanings of the items around the Chinese New Year table is a lot like a treasure hunt. Each individual dish is steeped in tradition and is a homonym for a particular wish in the upcoming year. This year, the Spring Festival falls on Sunday, Feb. 10.” Read More: […]
Reading: “10 Essential Chinese New Year Dishes”
“Waiting tables has never paid my bills, a fact which I prefer to hide from my colleagues with deep sighs about the price of just about everything.” Read More: http://thisrecording.com/today/2012/3/13/in-which-we-dont-do-coke-in-the-bathroom-of-the-restaurant.html
Reading: “In Which We Don’t Do Coke In The Bathroom ...
“THE french fry was “almost sacrosanct for me,” Ray Kroc, one of the founders of McDonald’s, wrote in his autobiography, “its preparation a ritual to be followed religiously.” During the chain’s early years french fries were made from scratch every day.” Read More: http://www.rense.com/general7/whyy.htm
Reading: “Why McDonald’s Fries Taste So Good”
“These cooking/serving tools designed by Danish design firm KiBiSi have notches on the back so that they may gently rest on a pot or pan while you work. Made from white beech, they’re functionally minimal (or minimally functional?) as can only be expected from the manufacturer, Muuto.” Read More: http://www.betterlivingthroughdesign.com/accessories/muuto-cookingserving-set/
Reading: “Hang Around Cooking/Serving Set — ACCESSORIES”
“Here now, the cover of the next issue of David Chang and McSweeney’s cultish quarterly journal collaboration Lucky Peach, which is finally on its way to mailboxes and bookstores everywhere.” Read More: http://eater.com/archives/2013/02/08/heres-the-cover-for-lucky-peach-issue-6-the-apocalypse.php
Reading: “Here’s the Cover For Lucky Peach Issue 6: The ...
“Here’s an awesome video documenting the most important components that make up the ramen at Austin’s wildly popular Tatsu-Ya. The “culinary equation” that yields the ramen is the broth + the noodles + toppings, divided by the slurp.” Read More: http://eater.com/archives/2013/02/06/ramen-tatsuya-video.php#more
Reading: “Watch Mathematical Ramen Porn From Austin’s Tatsu-Ya”
“Some lovely food type, created by Nina Harcus, a 21 years old student.” Read More: http://typography-daily.com/2013/02/06/type-delight/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TypographyDaily+%28Typography+Daily%29
Reading: “Type delight”
“I think we can all agree that one of the hardest things about keeping a diet is the whole, “no sweets” part. But sadly, sugar is in practically everything we eat, so even when we think we are being good, sugar is sneaking its way into our diets.” Read More: […]